“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11 NIV
Only four letters in the word “love” but the impact of the word employed in its proper context has the power to change lives. True love is not something to be whispered. Love is an expression to be seen in deeds as well as the tone of words.
In the Greek language, the word love takes on eight different meanings to convey a type of expression in terms of a relationship.
| TYPE OF LOVE | MEANING | ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION |
| Eros | passion, lust and pleasure | Greeks considered Eros to be dangerous and frightening as it involves a “loss of control” through the primal impulse to procreate. |
| Philia | friendship | Love “without physical attraction.” described by the word, platonic |
| Agape | selfless universal love, the love for strangers, nature, or God | Unconditional, bigger than ourselves, a boundless compassion and an infinite empathy that you extended to everyone |
| Storge | natural form of affection experienced between family members | Common between parents and their children, and children for their parents. |
| Mania | obsessive love | Love turns to obsession, it becomes mania |
| Ludus | playful love | The situation of having a crush and acting on it, or the affection between young lovers. |
| Pragma | enduring love | Love built on understanding and long-term best interests. |
| Philautia | self love | The Greeks understood that in order to care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves |
https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/02/14/the-8-ancient-greek-words-for-love/
Each word describes a varied level of intensity connected to a unique experience of love. Every word geared to communicating emotions and/or a level of commitment. Eros denotes the extreme of emotions while Agape is the epitome of commitment. All the other types of love fall in between these two extremes.
The love experienced from God is an unconditional love, agape. God’s love makes no demands or issues conditions in order to be a beneficiary. Even the atheist, in the state of misguidance, with each breathe inhaled encounters the love of God. The love of God looks beyond our faults to consider our needs, those seen and unseen. According to our faith, God’s love can be received beyond measure. As we learn to welcome Him into the areas of our lives, God pours His love into the open areas to eliminate the barrenness driving us into emotionally and spiritually instability.
Like God, in the affirmation we belong to Him, our love towards others as well as God must be expressed in our deeds and the works we speak. It is never just enough to say, “I love you” without action to validate the words. Nor does action without the words suffice to those longing to hear those three words that bring a sense of needed security. In order to mimic the love that God gives us, love must always be freely given and in great supply. It is never detoured by bad behavior. It continues to flow even if from afar.
As we draw close to God, let us endeavor to grow in awareness of the depth of His love, so that we can channel it to those within our spheres and abroad.
"God told the world,"I love you" ... then, He sent His only Son to die in our place for our sins" What will you do to validate your towards others as well as God?"_ASA
Chronicles of ASA 